Conventional plows come in a variety of forms but are typically fixed in length. This fixed length limits the flexibility of the plow in the sense that a longer plow or a shorter plow is sometimes desirable depending on the nature of the job to be performed or on the conditions under which the plow and associated vehicle may be transported during or between jobs. That is, it is sometimes desirable to make use of a longer plow so that longer, and correspondingly larger, swaths of a given area to be plowed can be plowed over a given time so as to reduce the time associated with plowing the given area. On the other hand, it sometimes desirable to have a shorter plow to allow for ease of transport on public highways or to plow around barriers and other like obstructions. Accordingly, a plow that has an adjustable width which is able to be either expanded or contracted may offer a user desirable, but otherwise unavailable, flexibility.
In some applications it is desirable to provide end forms or wings to a plow in order to promote containment of material being plowed. Such plows with end forms or wings may be referred to as containment plows. It remains desirable to provide improvements in material handling devices directed to containment plows which are adapted to be adjustable in width.
Similarly, the mounting of material handling devices, such as plows to an associated vehicle, is a matter of particular interest. In some mounting assemblies, a material handling device such as a plow blade assembly, is attached to a vehicle mounting frame through the vertical extension and retraction of a hydraulic cylinder which controls the engagement of upper and lower hooks onto the vehicle mounting frame.
While there are advantages to such mounting assemblies, there are also several disadvantages. First, once the material handling device is installed on the associated vehicle, the hydraulic cylinder must stay under pressure to prevent the mounting assembly from disengaging. Additionally, as the only means for keeping the frame in place on the front of the vehicle, the hydraulic cylinder is continually subjected to lateral and rotational forces and/or torques throughout the normal course of usage of the material handling device. These forces and/or torques may cause premature wearing of the hydraulic cylinder, causing the cylinder to break. For example, a seal on the hydraulic cylinder may break or “blow”, resulting in failure of the hydraulic cylinder. In a plowing device, this typically results in the failure of the entire plow blade assembly. Without a properly functioning hydraulic cylinder, the plow blade assembly cannot remain attached to the vehicle mounting frame. In such circumstances, either the hydraulic cylinder would have to be repaired or replaced, or an entirely new plow blade assembly would have to be purchased.
In relation to the vehicles on which the material handling device may be mounted, such as trucks and automobiles, auxiliary lights are light sources that are used to supplement a vehicle's standard and original lighting. Some common examples of auxiliary lights are fog lights, spotlights, and snow plow lights. These lights find uses in activities such as off-road driving, driving in inclement weather and plowing snow. Typically, these auxiliary lights are mounted on the frame of a snow plow or some other external component or attachment to the vehicle.
Existing auxiliary light systems commonly include one or more sealed beam headlights within an auxiliary light housing assembly. Due to the size and weight of conventional sealed beam auxiliary lights, such lights are often limited to specific locations or areas where they can be mounted on a vehicle. As a result of this mounting limitation, many of these lights are permanently connected to their mounting structure, making adjustment and replacement of the lighting components difficult.
Due to the size and nature of a typical plow assembly (e.g., a snow plow assembly), the plow vehicle's standard headlights are normally blocked by the plow blade and overall snow plow assembly in general. Thus, the plow vehicle's headlights cannot fulfill their normal function of illuminating the road. This creates a hazardous and dangerous condition for the driver, as well as other traffic on the road. In addition, operating a vehicle under conditions which require the use of a snow plow (e.g., inclement weather) without functional headlights violates many traffic safety regulations. Thus, the industry solution has long been to mount these auxiliary lights on the frame of the snow plow to essentially take over the function of the vehicle's standard headlight system.
Many jurisdictions in the United States have traffic regulations requiring that headlights, including plow lights that are functioning as headlights, maintain specific angles and heights so that the lights of one vehicle do not create hazardous conditions for drivers of other vehicles. Thus, the placement of auxiliary snow plow lights often must fall within the proper height and angle range requirements set by local law. Current lighting systems attempt to meet this requirement by placing the lights at a fixed point above the snow plow blade in a “one-size-fits-all” type solution. Given the large diversity of vehicles being used to plow snow, this “one-size-fits-all” approach is no longer viable. What is needed is an auxiliary lighting mount for a plow assembly that is sturdy yet adjustable to account for variations in height between different plow assemblies and vehicles.
It remains desirable to provide a material handling device mounting apparatus that can be quickly and easily mounted to an associated vehicle, which overcomes the issues of rotational and lateral forces prematurely wearing on the hydraulic cylinder during normal use, provides a mechanical backup for retaining the plow assembly on the vehicle in the event of a hydraulic cylinder failure, and is capable of accommodating additional features which may be present on the snow plow assembly.